President Benson quoted Will Durant in his book, “Caesar and Christ” in summarizing the causes of the destruction of the Roman Empire. “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within. The essential causes of Rome’s decline lay in her people, her morals, her class struggle, her failing trade, her bureaucratic despotism, her stifling taxes, her consuming wars…

Jerold Newquist An Enemy Hath Done This preface
This was said of President Benson. He is a man who has never feared being controversial in defense of freedom and liberty. He believes---with Jefferson---that he who fears criticism is hopeless. Only those who do things are criticized. To hesitate for fear of criticism is cowardly.

Ezra Taft Benson CR April 1968
If America is destroyed it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers…normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free---Americans who have been lulled away into a false security.

Ezra Taft Benson Prophets, Principles, and National Survival p. 236
Our civilization and our people are seeming afraid to be revolutionary. We are too broadminded to challenge what we do not believe in. We are afraid of being intolerant---uncouth---ungentlemanly. We have become lukewarm in our beliefs. This is a sad commentary on a civilization which has given to mankind the greatest achievements and progress ever known. But it is even a sadder commentary on those of us who call ourselves Christians, who thus betray the ideals given to us by the Son of God himself. In our efforts to be neutral, however, we inevitably take sides with those who would allow our freedoms to dissipate.

Marion G Romney CR October 1960
We who hold the priesthood must beware concerning ourselves, that we do not fall in the traps he lays to rob us of our freedom. We must be careful that we are not led to accept or support in any way any organization, cause, or measure, which in its remotest effort, would jeopardize free agency, whether it be politics, government, religion, employment, education, or any other field. It is not enough for us to be sincere in what we support. We must be right.

Ezra Taft Benson CR April 1967
Anyone who retreats from this battle jeopardizes his life here and hereafter. …and we who have been warned have a responsibility to warn our neighbor. The fight for freedom can not be divorced from the gospel.

Ezra Taft Benson CR April 1965
We have the ignorant, the sleepy, and the deceived who provide temptations and avenues of apostasy for the unwary and the unfaithful.

David O McKay CR October 1959​
The conflict between communism and freedom is the problem of our time. It over shadows all other problems.

Bishop Joseph F Wirthlin CR October 1941
It has been prophesied that the Saints have a destiny to someday rise up and save the constitution from threatened destruction; yet at the present time a number in the church are advocating the very principles and concepts that are weakening and destroying the constitution. It would seem that a great apostasy has taken place from the law and testimony of American democracy or the Constitution of the United States. Just as there has been an apostasy from the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, there has been an apostasy from those divinely given principles of government which have been transmitted to us by the inspired men who founded this great nation. (His entire address was endorsed by President Heber J Grant.)

2 Nephi 15:20
Wo unto those who call evil good that put darkness for light…that put bitter for sweet.

Moroni 7:14
Wherefore, take heed my beloved brethren that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God.

1828 Noah Webster dictionary
Blasphemy is in part defined, “attributing to God that which is not agreeable to Him.”

D&C 112:23-28
…darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face. Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth. First among those among you…, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house saith the Lord. …then go into all the world and preach my gospel unto every creature.

Ezra Taft Benson BYU December 10, 1963 Prophets, Principles, and National Survival p. 309
Yes, the Fabian Socialist are as busy as bees rolling out the red carpet which leads inevitably to communism. Faced with this situation our first duty is that of education. Starting with ourselves we must become familiar with the broad outlines of our movement toward destruction. We must as President McKay has urged, become alerted and informed. After becoming informed ourselves, we must carry the word to all within hearing or seeing range, so that they, too, can become awakened. Take every opportunity to pass sound literature and books around so that your neighbors and their neighbors will awaken before it is too late. We are literally in a race against time and we must take every opportunity to spread the word.

Ezra Taft Benson Prophets, Principles, and National Survival p. 302
Certain soldiers of public opinion in America who call themselves liberal in politics and economics and religion have virtually canonized and glorified three men. Charles Darwin with his, “ Origin of the Species”…Karl Marx who wrote the “Communist Manifesto”…and John Maynard Keynes with his book, “The General Theory on Economics”. The Growing influence of these three men is visible in all segments of American life today (1969)…it has penetrated some of the vital centers of our government, educational system, and church life. If the doctrines of these three men were to become the basic philosophy of our way of life, we as a people would fail as has no other generation before us since the days of Noah.

Ezra Taft Benson An Enemy Hath Done This p. 309
At this particular moment in history the United States is definitely threatened and every citizen should know about it. The warning of this hour should resound through the corridors of every American institution---schools, churches, the hall of Congress, press, radio, and television, and so far as I am concerned, it will resound---with God’s help.

Joseph Fielding Smith Signs of the Times p. 134-135 1942
Rejection of the gospel; rejection of Jesus Christ; and when you reject the gospel, when you reject the Author of our salvation, what have you to rely on? Why nothing but the devil’s plan; and what is the devil’s plan? To force men, to take away from them their agency, to compel them to do the bidding of somebody else, whether they like it or not, and that is the feeling that has spread over the world. D&C 1:35 Satan shall have power over his own dominion. Well, if the devil has power over his own dominion what is he teaching? Despotism and destruction of agency. That is what he is doing; and if we will not keep the commandments of God, that is what we are coming to.

D&C 131:6
…it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.

D&C 88:118
Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

Brigham Young BY manual p. 324 Discourses of Brigham Young p. 440
When the kingdom of God is fully set up on the earth, and takes preeminence over all other nations and kingdoms, it will protect the people in the enjoyment of all their rights, no matter what they believe, what they profess, or what they worship.

David O McKay CR April 1866 An Enemy Hath Done This p. 297
The position of this church on the subject of communism has never changed. We consider it the greatest satanical threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of God’s work among men that exists on the face of the earth… We therefore, commend and encourage every person and every group who are sincerely seeking to study constitutional principles and awaken a sleeping and apathetic people to the alarming conditions which are rapidly advancing about us. We wish all of our citizens throughout the land were participating in some type of organized self-education in order that they could better appreciate what is happening and know what they can do about it… No member of the church can be true to his faith, nor can any American be loyal to his trust, while lending aid, encouragement, or sympathy to any of these false philosophies; for if he does, they will prove snares to his feet.

John A Widtsoe Prophets, Principles, and National Survival p. 440 CR April 1941
The troubles of the world may largely be laid at the doors of those who are neither hot nor cold; who always follow the line of least resistance; whose timid hearts flutter at taking sides for truth. As in the great council in the heaven, so in the Church of Christ on earth, there can be no neutrality.

Ezra Taft Benson An Enemy Hath Done This p. 274 CR April 1965
To have been on the wrong side of the freedom issue during the war in heaven meant eternal damnation. How then can Latter-day Saints expect to be on the wrong side in this life and escape the eternal consequences? The war in heaven is raging on earth today. The issues are the same: shall men be compelled to do what others claim is for their best welfare…?

Ezra Taft Benson CR April 1965 An Enemy Hath Done This p. 277
…the Lord will not protect us unless we do our part. This devilish tactic of persuading people not to get concerned because the Lord will protect them no matter what they do is exposed by the Book of Mormon. Referring to the devil, it says, “And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, and they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well---and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” 2 N 28:21 I like that word “carefully”. In other words, don’t shake them, you might awake them. The Book of Mormon warns us that when we should see these murderous conspiracies in our midst that we should awake to our awful situation. Now why should we awake if the Lord is going to take care of us anyway? But many of the prophecies referring to America’s preservation are conditional. That is, if we do our duty we can be preserved, and if not, then we shall be destroyed. This means that a good deal of the responsibility lies with the Priesthood of the Church as to what happens to America and as to how much tragedy can be avoided if we do act now. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared it will be the Elders of Israel who will step forward to help save the Constitution, NOT the Church.

David O McKay CN 3/14/53 PPNS p. 346-347
We are placed on this earth to work and the earth will give us a living…It is our duty to strive to till the earth, subdue matter, conquer the globe, take care of the flocks and the herds. It is the government’s duty to see that you are protected in it, and no other man has the right to deprive you of any of your privileges. But it is not the government’s duty to support you. I shall raise my voice as long as God gives me sound or ability, against the communistic idea that the government will take care of us all, and that everything belongs to the government. It is wrong! No wonder in trying to perpetuate that idea, that men become anti-Christ, because those teachings strike directly at the doctrines of the Savior. No government owes you a living. Your get it yourself by your own acts---never trespassing upon the right of your neighbor, never by cheating him. You put a blemish upon your character the moment you do.

Spencer W Kimball Deseret News August 7, 1976
We don’t believe in government welfare systems! We teach our people to be thrifty, so that if they get into financial trouble they can look to their family, then to the church, but ​NEVER to the government!

Ezra Taft Benson CR April 1965 PPNS
No matter what you call it, communism, socialism, or the welfare state, our freedom is sacrificed.

Spencer W Kimball CR April 1950 PPNS p. 347
You have already heard much today about certain trends that would engulf us and destroy us. As President McKay was talking about the freedoms which we seem ever more eager to exchange for bread, my thoughts went back to old Israel, who becoming hungry, went south to Egypt and found corn. That corn tasted so good to them that they continued eating the corn of another people. Eventually they accepted the grain and the security it symbolized in full payment for their liberty. Chains and abject slavery came to them and to their children and their children’s children. Their suffering accelerated in intensity until a great Moses, under God, came to emancipate them. Thank the Lord for a deliverer! But how much nobler if people could accept the advise of God’s leaders before the bondage comes!